Wander-ling: Venice Day 1-3

Hello, friends! We're winding down to our final days in Italy. The story begins in Castiglion Fiorentino and ends at the airport in Venice. Thank you so much for being a part of this European journey with me. I have so enjoyed sharing my travels with you. Now I am back home in my own bed with air conditioning, no longer traveling. I have had a blast on this trip. I've made so many new friends, shared amazing experiences with my family, and gotten to travel the world. Thanks again for joining my Wander-ling adventure. 

Venice Day 1: July 31
The Land on the Water

  This morning, we woke up super duper early. It was our last and final day in the center. It was very sad leaving the place that we love so much, but we had a new destination ahead of us: Venice. We got all the luggage of ours and the students, loaded them on a truck, and went down to the train station. The train ride with 27 students and a million suitcases was not easy. It was very stressful, but we managed. Once we arrived in Venice, we took a water taxi to the hotel on the Lido (island by Venice). We got settled in the hotel, then went on a tour of Venice led by my dad. He showed all the students around Venice, just to give them some exposure, then let them run free. They were on their own. 
  By that time, we were starving, so my dad, Don, my sister, and I got dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. I forgot the name of it, but I got spaghetti amatriciana, and loved every bit. It was basically spaghetti with red sauce, peppers, bacon, and onions. In the evening, we took the Vaporetto (water bus) back to the hotel. Yes, in Venice there are no cars. One must travel by public boats, which are kind of awesome.


Venice Day 2: August 1
Gugenheim

  This morning, we went to the Gugenheim modern art museum. We do this every year, and I enjoy it to a certain extent. Don't get me wrong, I love art. I just don't love modern art that much, so I didn't have much interest in the museum. I had a good time, though. After we got lunch at "The Working Man Restaurant". We love it for its delicious food and local atmosphere. However! We found out that it totally sold out to tourism! It's hardly local at all! How disappointing! 
  Afterwards, we walked around Venice a bit. We did some shopping and looked among the markets along the Rialto bridge. Venice is known for its glass work, and we got a few things to get as gifts. It was a good time, but we were so tired afterwards!
  Once back at the hotel, my sister and I hung out in some of the students' room. We did hair, makeup, and nails. It was a blast! At dinner time, we walked over to another one of our favorite restaurants in Venice. It's called "Beer Bante", and we love it for its steaks and the fact that the waiter tells you what the menu is. This time, there was a menu and it lost its locality! What happened to our favorite restaurants?! The dinner was delicious, but we totally got eaten up by mosquitos. It was terrible! This basically concluded our night!

Venice Day 3: August 2
Last Day in Italy

  This morning, we went into the main part of Venice and walked around. We shopped, went into glass shops, and got even more souvenirs. Don is obsessed with fish and penguins, so he got some glass little trinkets for himself and his wife. For lunch, we went to "Ai Cugnai", which we've gone to before. They have amazing lasagna, so me and Don each got our own lasagna. It was so good! Afterwards, we went back to the hotel. I slept a bit, then my dad decided we should go swimming. There's a beach on the Lido, so it was perfect! The beach was packed, but we had a lot of fun swimming in the Adriatic Sea and getting our beach on! I love swimming so much.
  In the evening, we went to a new restaurant for our last meal. I forget what it was called, but it was located in the local region of "Rialto". It was really nice and quite, just overlooking the canal. I shared the seafood risotto with my dad. It was ridiculously delicious and fresh. I was satisfied with my last meal in Italy. After dinner, we got gelato and packed for our departure from Europe.

I just got back yesterday from Italy, and I'm so happy to be back! We boarded a plane for a nine hour flight to Phillidelphia, where I watched a ton of movies and made a friend on the plane. Then, we took a short flight back home. I had such a great time in Europe! With all the people I met and the places I went, it will be an experience that I will remember forever!

-Love Ling